Rome & Medjugorje Pilgrimage Tour

Depart Memphis, or your hometown for your overnight flight(s) to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

Upon arrival at Rome Airport, you will pass through Passport Control, find your luggage and exit the baggage claim area into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by your Tour Escort and after a warm welcome to Italy, you will be escorted to your Private Motorcoach and visit the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls which houses the remains of Saint Paul under its main altar. Here you will have Mass and time to pray before heading to your hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration. 

This morning awake in the Eternal City! After breakfast depart on your sightseeing tour which will offer insight into the most significant Catholic sites in Rome. You will see the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus, and is the burial place of the late Pope Francis. You will visit the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, which was the residence of the popes before returning to Rome in 1377 and have the opportunity to climb the Holy Stairs which are the steps that lead up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, the very ones on which Jesus Christ stepped on his way to trial during His Passion, and which were brought to Rome by Saint Helena in the fourth century. In the afternoon you will visit St. Peter’s Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. St. Peter’s is unsurpassed in beauty; a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims from around the world flock. You will have time to marvel at the Pieta and Bernini’s amazing bronze canopy and to pray at the tomb of Pope Saint John Paul II. On this special Jubilee Year you will also have the opportunity to Pass through the “Holy Door,” a symbol of Hope, spiritual renewal, forgiveness, and a deeper connection with God. To obtain the Jubilee plenary indulgence pilgrims must also go to confession and receive Holy Communion. (NOTE: Itinerary may change based on time we are able to confirm for the group to pass through the Holy Door.) Dinner and overnight in Rome.

This morning we will see the Appian Way, the oldest road from Roman times, as well as the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel, the ancient Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Drusus, and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. Visit and have Mass at the catacombs of St. Callixtus, the very place where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution for their devout faith.

At noon, be in St Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus and receive the Papal Blessing from Pope Leo XIV, the first Pope born in the United States of America. This afternoon you will depart for Rome Airport for your short flight to Croatia. Upon arrival, you will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by a tour guide. You will be escorted to the private motorcoach which will then take you on the 2 1/2-hour drive to the village of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dinner and overnight in Medjugorje.

Over the next four days, you will experience the beauty and peace of the simple village of Medjugorje. During your stay, you will have the opportunity to share your faith with pilgrims from all over the world. Our local guide will accompany you to help you understand the history and layout of the village. Our guide will arrange meetings with the visionaries at their own homes, provided that they are in Medjugorje during your trip and pending their availability. 

Here are some of the activities you will have the opportunity to experience:
Each morning at 10:00 am we assemble at St. James Church for the English language Mass (On feast days and Sundays English Mass is at noon). Follow the path up Apparition Hill where the visionaries first encountered Our Lady. Touch and pray before the cross that commemorates the spot where Mary first appeared to the visionaries. Visit and pray at “The Blue Cross,” which is a place of great healing and graces, at the base of Apparition Hill. Each evening at 5:00 pm (6:00 pm daylight savings time) we will join the villagers and pilgrims to pray the rosary. The apparition takes place at 5:40 pm (6:40 pm during daylight savings time) followed by the Croatian Mass, where there is the Blessing of the Sick and Blessing of Religious articles. You will have the opportunity to climb Krizevac Mountain where in 1933 the villagers built a 30′ high cross on the anniversary of Jesus’ crucifixion.

After breakfast attend English Mass and enjoy your final day in Medjugorje. In the afternoon we travel to Split for dinner and overnight. 

After an early breakfast we transfer to Split airport for return flights home.